Where does the time go?

We went out to dinner last night and Ella kept singing The Wiggles "Lights, Camera, Action", which was unintelligible up until the part where she'd yell "WIGGLES!" and raise her hands above her head. Donald and I were both laughing, it was adorable. If she hadn't been in a high chair I suspect she probably would've been doing a little dance right along with it.

So I'm sitting there just watching her and wondering where the hell the past 18 months have gone. It seems like just yesterday that I was holding a newborn in my arms. And while a part of me wants her to stay my sweet baby forever, I've really enjoyed watching her blossom into a little girl. It's amazing to me to see how much she has transformed in the past 18 months. I look at her newborn pictures and she looks like a completely different person. Her brain is like a sponge, she's just soaking up every little bit of information she can get. She's constantly learning and growing and it's been such a joy to watch. I'm really looking forward to what the future brings. I watched her go from a baby to a toddler and I can't wait to see her go from a toddler to a little girl, then to a young adult and a teenager. Okay, maybe I'm not really completely looking forward to the teenage years, I could do without all the angst. Especially if she turns out even half as angsty as I was as a teen. But it'll be fun to watch her with her girlfriends, having her first boyfriend, getting her first kiss, going to the prom, etc. It's just so much to look forward to.

There are times when I still can't believe I'm a mother. And yet it seems so natural to me, that I can barely remember what it was like not to be a mother. No, she's not a perfect child. She has temper tantrums and gets angry, sometimes she tests my patience almost to the breaking point. But she's my child and I love everything about her. All her flaws and imperfections just make her that much more loveable to me. I made this person, she will always be a part of me. Isn't life amazing?